Originally posted on The Scribble Bug: Slacktivism is a funny little hybrid word – a portmanteau of ‘slacker’ and ‘activism’. It applies to ‘actions taken to bring about political or social change but requiring only minimal commitment, effort, or risk’, but more generally referring to the casual liking or retweeting of political or issue-led content online in lieu of mobilising IRL. Over the last two years it’s received a serious amount of mixed press. On the one hand, it’s drawing attention to campaigns and causes that need them. On the other, slacktivism carries a pejorative undertone – implies people are interacting online to look good or feel good rather than actually engaging or committing to a cause. Is this all it is? Is it just a lot of talk but not a lot of do? As a digital native who often finds themselves writing about activism – in particular those related to climate change, mental health, and equality – this is something that has increasingly bothered me. And you know me – if something causes a bother then it’s time to ask some questions and find…

Originally posted on The Romance Corner: Hey Bloggers! Welcome back to: Rants & Rambles?is a weekly feature where I hope to share my own personal thoughts and opinions about both?bookish and?blogging related topics. As stated, these are MY OWN?opinions and while you can choose to disagree with it, I hope that you at least respect it. I should say that this type of post was never something that crossed my mind, but after seeing all the drama that has gone down within the last two weeks in the blogosphere, I felt compelled to share my own thoughts about some of the things that have ruffled our pages over the last two weeks.? OPINIONS.?Everyone’s got one and while we may not necessarily always agree with one another, I think that we should at least RESPECT each other’s beliefs, no matter how ridiculous and narrow-minded they may be.?Let’s go back to two weeks ago, when the trending post by Nick & Nereyda rubbed many bloggers the wrong way and they had some not so nice words to…

Originally posted on Black Millennials: Jamar Clark was killed execution-style while handcuffed in Minneapolis. Black activists most notably affiliated with the local Black Lives Matter chapter and the local NAACP shut down highways and occupied the 4th police precinct. National media is starting to pick up on the local unrest, especially after white supremacist terrorists shot five Black Lives Matter protestors. In Chicago, video released shows LaQuan McDonald being shot some sixteen times by a white police officer. His murderer has been charged, and thousands are mobilizing. Traditional media is focusing on the clashes between protesters and police, while social media is aflame. The gruesome video (which I admittedly haven’t watched) lives on the pages of many. Heated debate about the discomfiting consumption of Black death and pain is — once again — underway. Not one to homogenize Black murder and resulting unrest, I can’t help but draw striking parallels to Ferguson and Baltimore. From the expansive number of mass mobilizations and frontline energies, to the tweets of solidarity, frenetic live-streaming, and the viciously heavy-handed responses…

Originally posted on A Pinoy Millennial: Welp, I’ve been binge watching the show for a while now. And after covering over half of the total episodes, I conclude that Mahouka embodies plenty of what I like and dislike about recent anime culture surrounding Light Novels. I’ll get straight to the point, while I like the bit of social commentary about equality I’m not sure I’m fond of just how overtly technical-techy this anime is. It’s supposed to be a world where magic meets science. And yet while the visuals can make an impressive half, the other half just feels too much like science fiction instead of an actually balanced blend. That’s a magic gun? I thought it was Apple’s next product. I mean at least Wizard Barristers presented magic in a way that was a lot more straightforward. In the world of Mahouka, spells are reduced to mere computer coding. Good God, shit like this is the reason why I dumped Computer Science back in college. Give me a good, old-fashioned mix of imagination, fear-inducing…